Sunset
by thelightningstrike
Summary: Short oneshot on an event that may have happened between Neville and Luna, for those who still need coming to terms with the fact that they don't get together.


_So here's my new one-shot that I promised a couple of days ago actually, but never mind. It's based around the whole Neville/Luna relationship, and it just occurred to me that maybe this event could have happened. You'll have to read it to find out, I really hope you enjoy this one. Review if you wish to make my day._

**Sunset**

Neville fingered the ring in his pocket with increasing anxiety. What if she didn't like it? What if she said no? He knew she'd let him down gently, if this was the case, but this thought did nothing to ease his discomfort. He had worked up to this moment for so long, made it as perfect as possible- but the slight chance he would be disappointed lingered on his mind.

The rind was his mother's own, given to her by his father on their engagement. His grandmother had given it to him, insisting that his parents would have given it to them themselves if it hadn't been for their- Neville smiled faintly at the way she'd put it- bravery inflicted condition.

The ring glinted in the fading sunlight as Neville opened the faded ruby red box to look at it for a final time, before hopefully bestowing it on its new owner. It was a pale silver band, with a shimmering opal set in between two sparkling diamonds. The opal was milky white with a pale blue and lilac sheen usually, but at the moment it reflected the fiery oranges and yellows of the setting sun. Every time Neville looked at it, it appeared to be different from before- "ever changing", his father had said to his mother, "like my undying love for you". The story still brought tears to Neville's eyes. He blinked them away furiously- she would be here soon.

He believed he had picked the perfect setting- an empty beach in Cornwall, at sunset. He had told her to apparate here directly at seven, the time the sun usually began to set.

It was six thirty. He magicked two chairs, a table and cloth, and pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses from his rucksack. He had champagne for later- if all went to plan.

He sat down and poured himself a glass of the wine to ease his nerves. He wasn't quite the clumsy boy he used to be- but in his nervousness, it returned.

He cast his mind back to when he was that clumsy boy, when he had first met her. He almost smiled. He had been afraid of her.

But then the war had changed everything. He had had to mature, and greatly. Then he had become Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts, and the rest was history. He was 25 now. Hard to believe it had been seven years…

He had remained closest to her out of all his friends, and although they had never reached a physical intimacy, he believed she had grown to love him as he did her. Tonight was his way of finding out.

"Neville!" her voice broke his reverie and he looked up to see her strolling barefooted across the sands towards him, striking in a long-sleeved ankle-length lilac dress, her neck strung with strings of pearls and multi-coloured beads.

"Luna," he smiled warmly at her and she embraced him, kissing him on the cheek, as always. "You look wonderful."

"Why, thank you! Do you see these beads, the blue ones? They're to ward off the Cornish Pixies, you know. Would you like some?" Without warning, she pulled a necklace of them from around her neck and draped it around Neville's.

Neville smiled. The beads were undoubtedly plastic, but they smelled faintly of her perfume, which she made herself from garlic, onions and freshwater plimpies, which she said would ward off vampires, werewolves, and the abominable snowman all in one, so he accepted them graciously.

"You can never be too careful," she smiled.

He nodded. "Will you sit?"

"Certainly, after…" she took a spray bottle from her bag and sprayed the chairs, table and even wine glasses heavily. "There." She sat and looked across at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Wine?"

"No, thank-you, but I shall have a glass of infusion of gurdyroot, if you have any."

He had forgotten that this was Luna's preferred beverage. He cursed himself. "No, sorry."

"Then let us have some of mine," she said pleasantly, pulling from her bag a glass bottle. She opened it and poured them each some.

"So, Neville. Why the beach? Have you something important to tell me?"

How direct, he noted, before nodding uncomfortably. "I, er, wanted to ask you something actually."

"A, a favour. Do you wish for some of my gurdyroot infusion? I can spare a bottle or two…"

Neville loosened his tie. He was beginning to sweat. "Er- no, I wanted to ask you something else, actually."

"Go on, then," she said kindly, before taking a deep sip of her drink.

Neville moved both his hands off the table, pulled the ring box from his pocket and held it in his lap. "Luna, recently I've had an epiphany about my life."

"Ooh, really? An insight? Do you believe you actually Saw?"

"No, nothing like that. I just realised, perhaps, a path I have not yet ventured down."

"Where? Let's go now!"

"No, no. I mean metaphorically. A certain way my life has not yet been led."

"I see. A profession! I've guessed the favour! You want to come and work with me and Daddy!"

"No, Luna. No. Please, just listen to me. Recently, I've realised something." He reached out one hand and took hers in it. She smiled warmly.

He looked down at her hand entwined in his. "Luna, you're intelligent, beautiful, courageous and kind. I'm asking you, with honourable intentions, for your ha-"

"Who do you suppose that man is, Neville?"

He looked up, alarmed. She was looking out to sea, concentrating on a scruffy-looking man with startling orange trousers rolled up to his thighs, wading out into the sea. "Er- I don't, I don't know, Luna- er- weren't you, um, weren't you listening to me?"

If she had been then, she wasn't now. She conjured another glass and filled it almost to the brim, then picked up hers and began to run down to the strange man. "I'll just see if he needs a drink!" she called, already halfway there.

Neville rested heavily on the table, his head in his hands. He had put the ring back in his pocket.

The next time he looked up, Luna was laughing happily in the sea with the strange man. Angrily, Neville got up to go and meet them. When he came to the edge of the sea, Luna smiled and began to wade towards him, taking the man's hand and pulling him towards Neville.

"Neville, you'll never guess! This man here," she gestured to the man, also smiling warmly, who held out a hand for Neville to shake, "is Rolf Scamander!"

Neville shook his hand politely. "I'm sorry, I don't recognise…"

"The noted explorer! He discovered Crumple-Horned Snorkacks!" Luna gushed, gazing at Scamander adoringly.

"Ah," said Neville, pretending to understand.

"Would you care to join us?" said Scamander, offering Neville a spoon with an extremely long handle, like that of a Knickerbocker Glory, only longer.

"Er, what are you doing, exactly?"

"Why, fishing for Saltwater Plimpies, of course!" said Luna incredulously.

"You're most welcome," insisted Scamander, as Luna nodded enthusiastically.

"Er, no, no, I don't think I will, thank you, er, places to be, people to see, you know…"

Scamander nodded and made to move back out to sea. Luna laid a hand on his arm, "I'll be a moment," she said, and he nodded again, turning away.

"What was that thing you wanted to ask, Neville?" she said brightly. Neville could see the excitement in her eyes and the glow of her cheeks, the yearning to get back to Scamander.

He fingered the ring box in his pocket. "Nothing," he said, forcing a smile, "you have fun, Luna."

"I will do," she promised, and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, as always.

Luna and Rolf were married within a month. Some things just aren't meant to be, figured Neville, fingering the ring box in his pocket as Hannah Abbot leaned across the bar to give him his drink.


End file.
